Friday, January 29, 2010

Add this to your calendar - Capital Cabal on Feb 9th

2nd Tuesday on February 9th: www.capcabal.net/2ndTuesday

When:

Tuesday, February 9th
5:30PM - 9:00PM
Appetizers, drink specials, cool door prize loot.

Where:

Upstairs at Gua Rapo
2039 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201 - Court House area
703-528-6500
Use Court House Metro - Walk One Block East on Wilson and there we are.
Plenty of metered parking on Wilson, free after 6:00PM. Also, there's a large public metered parking lot on North Courthouse Road between 14th and 15th Streets, next to the AMC Theater.

Sponsors:

B2B Twitterer of the Year - Presenting the winners from 2009!
Rock Creek Strategic Marketing - They're hiring, bring those resumes!
Potomac Tech Wire
Core BTS
Online Marketing Summit 2010 - San Diego here we come!
Capitol Communicator

Ambiance:

80s background movies (!) and music, most of the time, since Cabalists are always strangely willing to learn, if you have something to teach.

Price:

$15 at the door, includes first beverage, heavy appetizers, and a door prize chance for cool stuff.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Deadline January 31st: Women Entrepreneurs with a great story

Professor Kathy Korman Frey at the George Washington University School of Business has kicked off the 2009-2010 HotMommas Case Study Competition.

Share your experience
It’s a unique project that takes the stories of the women and makes them teachable in a “case study” format, thus providing scalable, global access to role models and virtual mentors.

Need a refresher on Kathy’s great work?
Read this interview with Chief Hot Momma, Kathy Korman Frey, that we published a few months ago.

You have until January 31st:
If you want to nominate someone (yourself included) for the 2009-2010 competition, go to the HotMommas Facebook page or send an email with their information.

Links you may find useful/interesting:

The HotMommas Project

Nomination Form

Why Role Models Matter for Women and Girls

Hot Mommas Project Everyday Revolutionaties

Washington Post article

Source : Womengrowbusiness.com

Tripadvisor Traveler’s Choice 2010 awards

image

I love tripadvisor.com and have used it extensively for trips and holidays. TripAdvisor has announced the Travelers Choice 2010 awards and it is an interesting list.

My Twitter follower and one of DC’s best hotels @sofiteldc is on the list for hotels in the USA. I travel a lot and yet I have not stayed at any of these good hotels. I was also bummed that I had not stayed at any hotel in the list for India. Now I have so much family in India that I would never have to stay in any hotel :)

This is a good read and its entirely crowdsourced.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Write Your Career: A Seminar on Writing for Political and Government Staff

Saturday, January 30, 2010, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

JHU Bernstein-Offit Building

1717 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20036

Registration from 8:00 a.m. with continental breakfast

Using Writing Skills to Boost Your Career

Former Hill and government staffers and others reveal how they improved and used writing and editing skills to boost their careers or move out of government. This session presents an overview of the many workplace options available for those with solid writing and editing experience, plus how that experience can help you beyond words on the page or screen in just about any job.

Factual Writing

From journalism to advocacy to books, from editing to website content to blogging, writing about reality and facts offers scores of professional opportunities in and outside government. This session reviews the many venues available for new or experienced writers and editors, from magazines, website, trade publications, lobbying firms, and non-profits.

Fiction Writing

They say that everyone who works in Washington has a novel or short story in their laptop. Maybe so, but you first must master the elements of fiction, and then you need to consider how much of your experience on the Hill or in the government you actually can use or adapt.

The Business of Writing and Editing
This session reviews the basics of writing and editing business. For nonfiction, we discuss the query process, targeting, and editing. For fiction, we discuss markets and how to submit. For all writers, we discuss agents, marketing, and how much you should expect to be paid.

Registration cost:

Before Friday, January 15, 2010: Member’s price $79, Nonmember’s price $99, Student’s price $39

After Friday, January 15, 2010: Member price, $99, Nonmember price, $129, and Student price, $49

To register go to the AIW Website at www.amerindywriters.org or call the office at (202) 775-5150.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

The US Coast Guard picture above Port-au-Prince, Haiti,


100113-G-7070K-002, originally uploaded by U.S. Coast Guard.

A Coast Guard C-130 Hercules fixed-wing aircraft crew from Air Station Clearwater, conducts an overflight assessment above Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 13, 2009. The assessment follows a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that damaged the region January 12, 2009. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sondra-Kay Kneen.

Uploaded by U.S. Coast Guard

Friday, January 15, 2010

Entrepreneurs & Taxes at CPCUG meet up tomorrow January 16th

Saturday, January 16, 1:00 pm
Cleveland Park Library, 1st Floor, Large Meeting Room 
3310 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 
(Library open 9:30 am to 5:30 pm) .

Taxes:
What Every Entrepreneur and Consultant Needs To Know
Speaker: Jina Etienne, CPA, Etienne & Associates

Is your business paying more in taxes than required by law? Whether your business grosses millions of dollars each year or you are just getting started as an independent consultant, you probably hire an outside accountant to handle tax return submission. The ultimate responsibility for paying appropriate taxes, however, is yours. Do you have the basic accounting knowledge needed to supervise the work of your accountant? Do you stay current on tax law changes?

RSVP required: email bconn@cpcug.org

More info at http://entrepreneur.cpcug.org/110meet.html

Next Meeting:
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Increasing Productivity With Mobile Apps
Speaker:
Barg Upender, Mobomo, Founder, CEO

Also published on http://www.carryoncurry.com

Haiti - Here are some ways to help


The State Department has set up a hotline for Americans to inquire after family in Haiti: 888-407-4747.
There are several ways to donate using your cell phone:
• Text the word "Yele" to 501501 to donate $5 on behalf of the Yele Haiti Foundation, founded by Haitian musician Wyclef Jean.
• Text the word "Haiti" to 85944 to donate $5 on behalf of the Rescue Union Mission and MedCorp International.
• Text the word "Haiti" to 25383 to donate $5 on behalf of the Internal Rescue Committee.
• Text the word "Haiti" to 864833 to donate $5 to United Way Worldwide's disaster fund.
• Text the word "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 on behalf of the American Red Cross.
• Text the word "Haiti" to 45678 (in Canada only) on behalf of the Salvation Army in Canada.

You can also find updated information and general ways to help during disasters at ReliefWebUSAID and InterAction.
The FBI also warns donors to be alert to the potential for scamsinvolving the earthquake. After a tsunami devastated Southeast Asia in 2004, many people lost money by donating to relief organizations that turned out to be fraudulent. The FBI offers several tips here:

Read more details at Washington Post on how to help the Haiti earthquake victims.

Related Posts:

Social tools help spread the word for Haiti earthquake relief - Donate now

Technology Proves Useful in Haiti Relief Fund Drive





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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Crazy Domain Sale, Again at Network Solutions

I found this fascinating quote today:


It has been a while since we’ve done a crazy domain sale. Well, it’s back and it’s even crazier than before!networksolutions.com, Crazy Domain Sale, Again, Jan 2010




Now you can get domain names from Network Solutions for only $6.99 per year. This is good for .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info, .name and .us domains. Just enter coupon code DOMSOCIAL1 when you check out.

Also, if you’ve been thinking about transferring your domains to Network Solutions, now is THE time to do it. You can transfer .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info, .name and .us domains for only $6.99 for the first year as well. Use coupon code DOMSOCIAL3 when you check out.

Hurry, this offer is good for this month only. Oh, you’re welcome!

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Network Solutions headed to Social Fresh Nashville Jan 11th


I am heading to Nashville TN for a social media event Social Fresh. Social Fresh is a event  bringing together big brands and real social media success stories, all specifically for marketing professionals for a one day conference in Nashville TN on January 11th .
networksolutions.com, Network Solutions headed to Social Fresh Nashville Jan 11th, Jan 2010


You should read the whole article.
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Tuesday, January 05, 2010

If only you knew this was not garbage

I got inspired to do this post after reading Bob London's post on his blog "Bobservations". I don't want newspapers to die. Thats my quality time and sometimes that morphs into family time.
The plastic wrapped package above is 12/12/2007 Washington Post. It does not deserve this place. Newspapers particularly good ones(IMHO) like the Washington Post and the Washington Business Journal have a place in our life. ( feel free to add more or agree or disagree with me in the comments section below)

About an hour before taking this picture, as we were having breakfast - my wife, daughter and me had a discussion on how nice the Cookies in the food section looked ( Thats what you can see on the top in this picture). The conversation was going to evolve around how we could make the weekend a fun activity and make some of these cookies.

I am heavily plugged in to the Internet and to me a Newspaper is like a RSS reader. It usually does a good job of collecting news and information and if it doesnt I just move on.

I felt passionate enough on this to stop and take this picture.
Washington Post please do not take this to heart . I am sure the poor soul who threw this paper must have had a million things on his mind.

If you want to read the cookie article go to this link http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/11/AR2007121100499.html

What do you think ? Of course newspapers have other uses too . My toddler loves the Washington Post because of this.

Monday, January 04, 2010

Engagement through Customer Service: Your Contact Center and Social Media - Event Jan 5th

Event Date: 01/05/2010
Event Time:11:30 AM to 1:30 PM EST
To participate head on over to  website http://hashtagsocialmedia.com/.

TOPIC: Developing customer relationships are about managing a series of defining moments with customers (ie: pleasant to talk to, was I treated with respect, was my inquiry answered timely, did rep answer or fulfill my question). Contact centers are traditionally very strong with telephone support so incorporating online social media into contact centers is certainly a challenge. There may be nothing as important however to developing a truly social enterprise.

TOPIC QUESTIONS
Q1) When should customer service engage with consumers using social media?
Q2) How can contact centers scale to meet the demands of social media?
Q3) How can you determine if Customer Service is being effective with social media?

You should definitely check out the past Hastagsocialmedia events which discussed some great topics like Twankers, Rock Stars & Gurus – Authenticity In A World of Exploding Egos with Rohit Bhargava and The Value of Twitter for Businesses moderated by Jason Falls and many others.  Discuss with you more on Tuesday at http://hashtagsocialmedia.com/event/41

First published in my DC Social Media Examiner column

Friday, January 01, 2010

Watch Michelle Obama on the Jan 3rd Iron Chef on Food Network

On Jan 3rd there is a special guest on Food Network’s Iron Chef show . Iron Chef calls her a Guest of National Importance which she is and has a video leading up to the episode “The First Lady challenges the chefs to make garden-fresh fare”

The Episode summary from the Food Network Site:

Super Chef Emeril Lagasse and Iron Chef Mario Batali take on Iron Chef Bobby Flay and Super White House Chef Comerford in the culinary showdown of the century! There will be a special guest appearance by the First Lady, tasked by the Chairman to give the chefs their special challenge: each team will have to create the ultimate meal for America, using the White House Garden as the 'secret ingredient.'

Alyssa Lee comments on AOL TV : Regardless of any political leanings, however, fans of cook-off shows will no doubt salivate from the sheer culinary power unleashed in this epic Kitchen Stadium event. And to show off scrumptious dishes using locally produced, organic ingredients? That's just icing on the cake.

Emily Yahr In the Washington Post says: The first lady, whose domestic agenda includes promoting healthy eating, shows up in a theme-appropriate orange dress reminiscent of a crisp vegetable. She informs the chefs that the secret (and required) ingredient for the food competition -- in which three judges decide whose dishes are most delicious -- is anything in the White House garden.

Hope you will be watching. Of course we had some fun at the Social Media Club DC with a Chef’s contest recently.http://www.examiner.com/x-33257-DC-Social-Media-Marketing-Examiner~y2009m12d17-Geeks-Cook-and-Foodies-Judge-at-The-Social-Media-ClubDC-Holiday-Iron-Chef-Competition—Party

If you watch the episode pleae come back here and lets chat about what you think.

AI generated summary of 60 minutes AI edition

In a 60 Minutes interview that aired on April 17, 2023, Google CEO Sundar Pichai warned that artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing rapid...